Telephone network carriers offer business subscribers the use of toll-free 800 services. Typically, the toll-free 800 telephone number is associated with the business customer and any calls placed to that 800 number are directed to one of a number of customer associated locations based on factors such as the time of day or the geographical location of the caller.
A caller who dials a toll-free 800 number comes into the telephone network from the local telephone exchange company serving that calling area. The local telephone exchange then forwards the telephone call to the network originating switch, which queries the network control point. The network control point then gives the switch the internal routing number based on the subscriber's logic developed in its routing manager.
Before the call is routed to the subscriber, the network control point may instruct the call to be switched into a network services announcement facility such as a network services complex (NSCX) where an announcement is played. Once the announcement is played, the subscriber's routing logic plan dictates the call routing through the network switch system.
With the increased competition in the telephone industry, customers that subscribe to 800 toll-free services desire greater control over calls made in the toll-free 800 numbers. Most subscribers now desire more than simple access into the routing control system to set up routing logic within the telephone network. Customers also desire an interface with the processors and announcement banks that store and play announcements such as the NSCX facility. With the advent of audio and image transmissions, subscribers desire not only the ability to control routing logic through their routing manager, but also desire the ability to control announcements from their routing managers. These announcements may include images for use with telephones that include video displays, such as the ATT Public Phone 2000.